3.3 Telling time and time-related expressions

Telling time in Spanish is a crucial skill for everyday communication. From formal expressions like "Son las dos y quince" to informal ones like "Dos y quince," mastering these phrases helps you navigate daily life in Spanish-speaking countries.

Understanding the 12-hour and 24-hour clock systems is essential for interpreting schedules and making plans. Knowing time-related vocabulary, including days, months, and seasons, allows you to discuss dates and events with confidence in Spanish conversations.

Telling Time in Spanish

Formal and Informal Expressions

• Formal expressions use the phrase "son las" followed by the hour and minutes
  • "Son las dos y quince" (2:15)
  • "Son las cinco y media" (5:30)
• Informal expressions often omit "son las" and simply state the hour followed by "y" and the minutes
  • "Dos y quince" (2:15)
  • "Cinco y media" (5:30)
• When telling time on the hour, use "es la" for 1:00 and "son las" for other hours
  • "Es la una" (1:00)
  • "Son las tres" (3:00)
• Express time before the hour using "menos" followed by the minutes
  • "Son las nueve menos cuarto" (8:45, or "quarter to nine")

12-Hour vs 24-Hour Clocks

12-Hour Clock System

• "De la mañana" is used for AM hours from midnight to noon
  • "Son las 10 de la mañana" (10:00 AM)
• "De la tarde" is used for PM hours from noon to sunset, typically around 6:00 PM
  • "Son las 3 de la tarde" (3:00 PM)
• "De la noche" is used for PM hours from sunset to midnight
  • "Son las 11 de la noche" (11:00 PM)

24-Hour Clock System

• Hours range from 0:00 to 23:59, and "horas" is used instead of "de la mañana/tarde/noche"
  • "Son las 14 horas" (2:00 PM)
• Commonly used in formal settings, such as transportation schedules and official documents

Time Vocabulary in Spanish

Days of the Week and Months

• Days of the week: lunes (Monday), martes (Tuesday), miércoles (Wednesday), jueves (Thursday), viernes (Friday), sábado (Saturday), domingo (Sunday)
• Months: enero (January), febrero (February), marzo (March), abril (April), mayo (May), junio (June), julio (July), agosto (August), septiembre (September), octubre (October), noviembre (November), diciembre (December)
• The definite article "el" is used before the day or month when expressing the day of the week or the month
  • "El lunes tengo clase" (I have class on Monday)
  • "Mi cumpleaños es el 15 de agosto" (My birthday is on August 15th)

Seasons

• Primavera (spring), verano (summer), otoño (autumn/fall), invierno (winter)
• Seasons are not capitalized in Spanish and do not require a definite article
  • "Me gusta el otoño" (I like autumn)
  • "En verano hace mucho calor" (It's very hot in summer)

Common Time Phrases and Questions

Asking for the Time and Expressing Event Times

• To ask for the time, use "¿Qué hora es?" (What time is it?) or "¿Tienes hora?" (Do you have the time?)
• Express the time of an event or action using "a la(s)" followed by the time
  • "La película empieza a las 7:30" (The movie starts at 7:30)
  • "La reunión es a la 1:00" (The meeting is at 1:00)
• Ask when an event or action takes place using "¿Cuándo?" (When?) or "¿A qué hora?" (At what time?)
  • "¿Cuándo es tu fiesta de cumpleaños?" (When is your birthday party?)
  • "¿A qué hora sale el tren?" (At what time does the train leave?)

Expressing Duration and Frequency

• Express the duration of an event or action using "durante" followed by the time period
  • "Estudié durante dos horas" (I studied for two hours)
  • "La conferencia duró durante tres días" (The conference lasted for three days)
• Express the frequency of an event or action using "cada" followed by the time period
  • "Voy al gimnasio cada semana" (I go to the gym every week)
  • "Tenemos clase de español cada lunes y miércoles" (We have Spanish class every Monday and Wednesday)